“Now it has been given to a private developer and we wonder how the pond will be able to function for flood mitigation. At one time, it was a large pond. But now it will be altered so that thousands of condominium units can be built,” he said.

Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) had previously said that the approval for the project was given on the condition that the pond’s flood mitigation function is maintained.

DBKL explained that the flood mitigation pond’s active storage capacity would be retained, and any reclamation to be done by the developer would not interfere with it.

It also pointed out that the upgrading of infrastructure within the area would be enhanced by the proposed project, including the possibility of linking Jalan Sibu to Jalan Kepong and MRR2 to redirect traffic from Jalan Kuching.

Speaking on behalf of the residents, Kepong Community Service Centre head Yee Poh Ping said the approval process for new developments should consider the ability of existing roads to handle increased traffic.

“The authorities should not just rely on developers’ reports and claims. Further inspection and close monitoring must be done, taking into consideration the environmental effect and the function of the ponds to mitigate floods,” he said.